Target Your Aging Eye Issues

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It’s bad enough that we have to worry about failing vision and cataracts as we age. To (kind of literally) add insult to injury, a host of other issues also alter the appearance of the eye area, and as we all know, well, there’s a lot that can go wrong.

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Luckily, we’re seeing solutions on the horizon, so to speak. Here’s a quick reference guide to the problems you complain about most, and what you can do about them.

The problem: Dark circles

What’s up: There are tons of causes for the shadowy, unwelcome guests that cloud our under-eye area. The blueish, purple rings aren’t just associated with getting older—people of all ages suffer from them due to a host of reasons ranging from heredity to allergies—but with thinning skin combined with lifestyle factors such as chronic stress, drinking, smoking and sun exposure catching up with us, under-eye circles can take a turn for the worse.

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3 Easy Fixes:

Beginning: To effectively cover a dark under-eye area with makeup, choose a creamy concealer in one shade lighter than your skintone. Make sure to go with a blend that contains yellow undertones, which help neutralize a purple cast.

Medium: Don’t shoot the messenger, but most derms contend that despite product claims, so far, no skincare product has truly been scientifically proven to combat under eye circles. That said, like makeup, some can improve the appearance of them. Look for a product that contains light-reflecting pigments, which delivers a kind of “mirage” effect to dark areas. Hydroquinone or kojic acid can also help lighten the area if you’re dealing with hyper-pigmentation issues. (That's when the skin is dark, not the blood vessels below the skin.)

Advanced: When all else fails, visit a dermatologist to determine what more aggressive measures you can take. Chemical peels can sometimes improve the condition, and many derms swear by laser resurfacing—which will usually vary from doctor to doctor—to treat the problem. One leading Beverly Hills cosmetic derm uses non-invasive blue light therapy and a Coolaser treatment to battle dark circles.

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